That’s how many baseball writers left Gary Carter off their Hall of Fame ballot. If only 11 of them knew squat about the game and catching, Carter would be headed to Cooperstown.

Instead of having his big day, as Ozzie Smith did yesterday when he was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, Carter had to hold his tearful wife, Sandy, in his arms as her planned family party in Palm Beach Gardens was canceled. Now Carter is praying he makes it in next year and that his father Jim, who will be 84, is there to share the joy.

A winner throughout his 19-year career, the 11-time All-Star piled up 2, 092 hits, 324 home runs, 1, 225 RBIs and 1, 025 runs. He did almost of that while working behind the plate, handling a pitching staff in Gold Glove style.

“Everyone talks about the 3, 000 hits and the 500 home runs and the 300 wins and the 3, 000 strikeouts, those are all major milestones, but in this case, for catchers, ” Carter noted, “I would just like to ask any one of the sportswriters, has anybody ever gotten behind the plate to catch nine innings? You just don’t know what one goes through in catching the game.”

Know this about Gary Carter: He is not a whiner. He’s just telling it like it is after five straight years of falling short. At least 343 writers did vote for Carter, giving him 72.7 percent – a sizable jump from the 65 percent he received last year. Still, he needed 75 percent to join the Hall.

“I’ve paid the price … I thought my reward was going to come today for having nine knee surgeries, two broken thumbs that required surgery, over 40 cortisone shots, after 14 major surgeries and all these other things, OK, it’s all well worth it, ” Carter said.

Carter was not angry but he was frustrated. The ex-Met World Series champion said he would not change a thing. The Kid would still be a catcher.

“I’m one of those firm believers that if something doesn’t happen, there has to be a reason for it, ” said Carter, who was always there at his locker to answer questions, win or lose. “I can’t understand it, but there’s no reason to be angry towards anyone because it’s out of my control.

“It’s frustrating; I would like to understand their reasoning.”

Carter then pointed to a big reason why he should be in the Hall: “To be one of four catchers in the history of this great game to have the 2, 000 hits and the 1, 000 runs scored and over 300 home runs and over 1, 200 RBIs, and the other three are in there and I’m the only one that’s not.”

Those three are Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra and Carlton Fisk.

Then there’s catcher Rip Sewell, who had all of 49 career homers, but good old Rip was permitted entrance in 1977. At least he was a mistake made by the Veterans Committee, which wisely has been revamped by the Hall.

“Was I too nice?” Carter wondered. “Was it because I played in Montreal for 11 years? I don’t know what the answer is. All I can say is I gave it my all, I felt like I accomplished a lot. I really wish I had an answer … I’m as devastated as all of you are, ” he told well-wishers. Back in St. Louis, Smith, who was named on 91.7 percent of the ballots said, “It’s very frustrating I’m sure for Gary Carter.”

The Wizard of Oz made it to the Hall on amazing defense, skills he appreciates now more than ever.

“Since I’ve retired, ” Smith said, “I’ve had a chance to sit down and look at some of the things on tape, and, you know what, I was good.”

So was Gary Carter. Good enough to be in the Hall of Fame even if he wasn’t good enough for the Clueless 129.

COOPERSTOWN WILL WAIT

A disappointed Gary Carter missed Hall of Fame by 11 votes yesterday. Players named on 75 percent of ballots were inducted.